Cobalt Core - the hierarchy of basic cards

The basic cards - Basic Block, Basic Dodge, and Basic Shot, are not equally useful. I think there's a strong hierarchy between them, but it took me a while to realize it, so I'll explain it.

First, obviously, all these cards are strictly worse than character cards. Basic Shot is strictly worse than Multi Shot, Basic Block strictly worse than Shield Surge, and Basic Dodge strictly worse than Evasive Shot. So the basics are only good when they're the only thing in your hand that provides their resource, and when you need that resource urgently.

So, Basic Shot is the worst, because attack is basically never urgent. If you have no attacks in your hand, the worst that can happen is you miss out on one damage, which you can deal later. Reflect on the fact that damage now is usually no better than damage next turn, unless it instantly kills the enemy. This is why corrosion is so good.

Basic Block is better than Basic Shot, because there's a huge difference in value between 1 shield and 1 hull. Basic Block is roughly equally good as Basic Shot when you don't immediately need the shield; it's giving you 1 shield you can use later. But if you're short 1 shield, you take 1 *hull damage*, which you cannot heal easily. If Basic Block saves you from 1 hull damage, it's worth way, way more than 1 damage.

Basic Dodge is the best starter, because everything I just said about Basic Block applies to it, but also on another level: 1 evade doesn't always save you from 1 damage. Sometimes 1 evade can't save you from any damage at all, but other times, it can save you from *several* damage. This is especially true on high difficulties where you have a weak or brittle cockpit, if a big attack lines up with it. Thus the *maximum* value of 1 evade is much more than the maximum value of 1 shield.

Another factor is the scarcity of alternatives. Every character has plenty of ways to do damage, but if you don't have Dizzy, you likely don't have many other shield cards. If you don't have Riggs, you likely don't have many other evade cards. Cobalt Core rewards you for having a little bit of each kind of defense, because each is best in different stuations. Therefore, if you don't have Dizzy/Riggs, you likely want to keep your Basic Block / Basic Dodge.

Conclusion: you should remove Basic Shots from your deck before removing any of the other basics. You probably shouldn't *ever* remove Basic Block and Basic Dodge if you don't have Dizzy/Riggs, but if you do, Basic Block should go next, and Basic Dodge last.